DESSERTS
Holiday Ice Cream Balls
Note: This sounds like a lot of trouble, but once you've tasted it you'll find it's worth it.
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 recipe for Caramel Sauce (see below)
1 pint of Haagen Daz Vanilla ice cream (or other premium brand)
1 cup Brandy Whipped Cream (see sauces)
Toast the pecan bits in a dry pan or pot, stirring constantly. Set aside until cool.
Cut the ice cream into 4 equal pieces.
Working quickly roll each piece with your hands until round, then roll in the pecans, covering the ice cream.
Chill for at least 2 hours.
Caramel Sauce
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup half & half
4 Tablespoons butter
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix the brown sugar, half-and-half, butter and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until it gets thicker. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat, cool slightly and pour the sauce into a jar. Refrigerate until used.
Assembly: Put the nut coated ice cream in a bowl, pour caramel sauce generously over the top, and cover with a great glop of brandy whipped cream.
Serves 4
1 recipe for Caramel Sauce (see below)
1 pint of Haagen Daz Vanilla ice cream (or other premium brand)
1 cup Brandy Whipped Cream (see sauces)
Toast the pecan bits in a dry pan or pot, stirring constantly. Set aside until cool.
Cut the ice cream into 4 equal pieces.
Working quickly roll each piece with your hands until round, then roll in the pecans, covering the ice cream.
Chill for at least 2 hours.
Caramel Sauce
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup half & half
4 Tablespoons butter
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix the brown sugar, half-and-half, butter and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until it gets thicker. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat, cool slightly and pour the sauce into a jar. Refrigerate until used.
Assembly: Put the nut coated ice cream in a bowl, pour caramel sauce generously over the top, and cover with a great glop of brandy whipped cream.
Serves 4
Cream Cheese Flan
1/2 cup sugar
1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, cubed and softened
5 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
dash of salt
For the caramel:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
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Make the caramel syrup as below in Instructions.
Pour into a 1 1/2 quart round baking dish covering the bottom with the syrup.
Cool for a few minutes while you make the flan mix.
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Run the remaining ingredients in a blender and pour into the caramel bottomed dish.
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Place the dish in a large pan and fill with water near the top of the contents.
Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or more until a knife the center comes out clean.
This may be made ahead and brought to room temperature before serving.
Set the dish in hot water for a couple of minutes.
Place a plate larger than the dish on top. (The flan will spread out.)
Reverse the plate and dish quickly and the flan will release.
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Instructions for caramelizing sugar
Do not use a spoon on this recipe --- at all -- ever!
Put sugar and water in a heavy saucepan 4 - 1. (For 1 cup sugar use 1/4 cup water.) Just pour this in and don't stir.
Put it on high heat until it begins to bubble, then turn the heat to medium.
Let bubble away unmolested. It will get a crackly surface like lava. Ignore it. Let it continue to bubble. This process takes about 5 minutes.
You will see it begin to color around the edges. If it remains uneven, swirl the pan by the handle to mix the coloring.
When it's the color of very dark honey or sorghum syrup, remove it from the heat and immediately pour into the mold. You only have about 30 seconds to do this as it will thicken quickly and you can't reheat it.
Some glaze will remain in the pan. There is always some waste with this process.
Let the mold cool for a few minutes before pouring in the flan mix.
Here is a link if you need more help:
http://casaveneracion.com/how-to-caramelize-sugar/
1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, cubed and softened
5 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
dash of salt
For the caramel:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
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Make the caramel syrup as below in Instructions.
Pour into a 1 1/2 quart round baking dish covering the bottom with the syrup.
Cool for a few minutes while you make the flan mix.
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Run the remaining ingredients in a blender and pour into the caramel bottomed dish.
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Place the dish in a large pan and fill with water near the top of the contents.
Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or more until a knife the center comes out clean.
This may be made ahead and brought to room temperature before serving.
Set the dish in hot water for a couple of minutes.
Place a plate larger than the dish on top. (The flan will spread out.)
Reverse the plate and dish quickly and the flan will release.
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Instructions for caramelizing sugar
Do not use a spoon on this recipe --- at all -- ever!
Put sugar and water in a heavy saucepan 4 - 1. (For 1 cup sugar use 1/4 cup water.) Just pour this in and don't stir.
Put it on high heat until it begins to bubble, then turn the heat to medium.
Let bubble away unmolested. It will get a crackly surface like lava. Ignore it. Let it continue to bubble. This process takes about 5 minutes.
You will see it begin to color around the edges. If it remains uneven, swirl the pan by the handle to mix the coloring.
When it's the color of very dark honey or sorghum syrup, remove it from the heat and immediately pour into the mold. You only have about 30 seconds to do this as it will thicken quickly and you can't reheat it.
Some glaze will remain in the pan. There is always some waste with this process.
Let the mold cool for a few minutes before pouring in the flan mix.
Here is a link if you need more help:
http://casaveneracion.com/how-to-caramelize-sugar/
Cheesecake with almond crust Untested Recipe
CRUST:
1 1/4 Cups finely ground almonds or almond flour
or
1 1/4 Cups finely ground cashews
1 Tablespoon sugar
4 Tablespoons softened butter (1/2 stick)
2 ounces softened cream cheese
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TOPPING:
2 Cups sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
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FILLING:
3 packages softened cream cheese (24 ounces)
1 Cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
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Combine the crust ingredients.
Press into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
Chill for at least 15 minutes.
Mix the topping ingredients well, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Beat the cream cheese, blending in the vanilla.
Alternately add the eggs and sugar and beat until fluffy.
Bake this for 50 minutes at 350 degrees or until a knife inserted halfway between the edge and center comes clean.
Pour the cream cheese mix onto the baked cheesecake and level with a spatula.
Return this for an additional 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
Slide a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen, then remove the springform ring.
Keep chilled.
Makes 16 servings. If made with Splenda each serving will have 5 grams of carbs.
1 1/4 Cups finely ground almonds or almond flour
or
1 1/4 Cups finely ground cashews
1 Tablespoon sugar
4 Tablespoons softened butter (1/2 stick)
2 ounces softened cream cheese
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TOPPING:
2 Cups sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
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FILLING:
3 packages softened cream cheese (24 ounces)
1 Cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
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Combine the crust ingredients.
Press into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
Chill for at least 15 minutes.
Mix the topping ingredients well, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Beat the cream cheese, blending in the vanilla.
Alternately add the eggs and sugar and beat until fluffy.
Bake this for 50 minutes at 350 degrees or until a knife inserted halfway between the edge and center comes clean.
Pour the cream cheese mix onto the baked cheesecake and level with a spatula.
Return this for an additional 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
Slide a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen, then remove the springform ring.
Keep chilled.
Makes 16 servings. If made with Splenda each serving will have 5 grams of carbs.
Berry Cheesecake Cups
2 cups berries
1/2 cup sugar
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 - 3 Tablespoons minute tapioca (amount depends on how juicy the berries are)
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1 8 ounce package softened cream cheese
1 large egg
zest of 1/2 lime
1 - 2 Tablespoons sugar (to taste)
enough cream to run a blender
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2/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon sugar
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Put the berry ingredients in a small pot and cook about 10 minutes until thickened.
Put the cream cheese and the other four ingredients in a blender and whiz.
Mix the sour cream with vanilla and sugar.
Using 4 one cup sized pyrex baking cups assemble with the cream cheese mix on the bottom and berries on top of that.
Lower these into a pan of water and bake about 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
Remove from the oven and spoon the sour cream mix over the top.
Chill and serve.
1/2 cup sugar
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 - 3 Tablespoons minute tapioca (amount depends on how juicy the berries are)
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1 8 ounce package softened cream cheese
1 large egg
zest of 1/2 lime
1 - 2 Tablespoons sugar (to taste)
enough cream to run a blender
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2/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon sugar
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Put the berry ingredients in a small pot and cook about 10 minutes until thickened.
Put the cream cheese and the other four ingredients in a blender and whiz.
Mix the sour cream with vanilla and sugar.
Using 4 one cup sized pyrex baking cups assemble with the cream cheese mix on the bottom and berries on top of that.
Lower these into a pan of water and bake about 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
Remove from the oven and spoon the sour cream mix over the top.
Chill and serve.
Flan
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cups cream
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
shakes or grindings of nutmeg
Caramelize the sugar in a pan then pour immediately into a 1 to 1 1/2 quart round pyrex dish. The dish should be at least 1/2 as tall as wide.
Heat 1/2 the milk in the caramelized pot to dissolve remaining sugar.
Whiz remaining ingredients in blender then add the heated milk to that.
Pour into the baking dish and lower into a pan of water.
Bake at 350 degrees until a knife comes out clean. This could be 45 minutes to 1 1/4 hours, depending on the depth and width of the dish.
Cool the baked flan just enough to handle it. Invert onto a serving dish, spooning any extra caramel over the top.
Chill if you aren't going to serve it in a few hours. Remove from the fridge an hour before serving.
This can also be made in 4 small pyrex dishes for individual servings.
If you don't plan to serve this for 24 hours you may invert the flan until it releases then store it in the fridge with the baking dish as a cover.
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cups cream
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
shakes or grindings of nutmeg
Caramelize the sugar in a pan then pour immediately into a 1 to 1 1/2 quart round pyrex dish. The dish should be at least 1/2 as tall as wide.
Heat 1/2 the milk in the caramelized pot to dissolve remaining sugar.
Whiz remaining ingredients in blender then add the heated milk to that.
Pour into the baking dish and lower into a pan of water.
Bake at 350 degrees until a knife comes out clean. This could be 45 minutes to 1 1/4 hours, depending on the depth and width of the dish.
Cool the baked flan just enough to handle it. Invert onto a serving dish, spooning any extra caramel over the top.
Chill if you aren't going to serve it in a few hours. Remove from the fridge an hour before serving.
This can also be made in 4 small pyrex dishes for individual servings.
If you don't plan to serve this for 24 hours you may invert the flan until it releases then store it in the fridge with the baking dish as a cover.
My Best Pudding
3 Tablespoons minute tapioca
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
The juice of 1/2 orange
5 cups fresh milk
2 Tablespoons orange zest
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
Put the tapioca, cornstarch and orange juice in a 4 quart saucepan.
Let it sit a minute for the tapioca to swell.
Slowly mix in the milk using a wire whisk
Stirring constantly, bring to a boil.
Reduce to simmer, cover, and cook for 7 to 8 minutes until the starchy taste is gone.
Remove from the heat and add the extract.
Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap against the pudding to prevent a skin, and chill thoroughly.
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
The juice of 1/2 orange
5 cups fresh milk
2 Tablespoons orange zest
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
Put the tapioca, cornstarch and orange juice in a 4 quart saucepan.
Let it sit a minute for the tapioca to swell.
Slowly mix in the milk using a wire whisk
Stirring constantly, bring to a boil.
Reduce to simmer, cover, and cook for 7 to 8 minutes until the starchy taste is gone.
Remove from the heat and add the extract.
Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap against the pudding to prevent a skin, and chill thoroughly.
Butternut Pudding
1 Medium sized Butternut Squash
3 cups half & half
5 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon. nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 to 1/2 cup brown sugar or honey
1/4 cup brandy or rum
or
Juice and zest from 1 tangerine
Bake the squash whole at 350 degrees until a skewer goes through easily -- about 1 1/2 hours
Cool, peel, and seed the squash.
Working with part of the squash at a time, add some chunks to a blender, pour in part of the half & half, and one or two eggs.
Repeat. In one of the blending runs, add all the spices, sugar and liquor. Blend very smooth, pour into a bowl and mix well.
Pour the batch into a 2 - 3 quart baking dish and sit it in the oven in a large pan, partly immersed in water.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until a knife comes out clean.
Serve with Brandy Whipped Cream or vanilla ice cream
3 cups half & half
5 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon. nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 to 1/2 cup brown sugar or honey
1/4 cup brandy or rum
or
Juice and zest from 1 tangerine
Bake the squash whole at 350 degrees until a skewer goes through easily -- about 1 1/2 hours
Cool, peel, and seed the squash.
Working with part of the squash at a time, add some chunks to a blender, pour in part of the half & half, and one or two eggs.
Repeat. In one of the blending runs, add all the spices, sugar and liquor. Blend very smooth, pour into a bowl and mix well.
Pour the batch into a 2 - 3 quart baking dish and sit it in the oven in a large pan, partly immersed in water.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until a knife comes out clean.
Serve with Brandy Whipped Cream or vanilla ice cream
Indian Pudding
1 quart milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup black molasses
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup raising (optional)
1 pint good vanilla ice cream
Boil the milk with the salt, butter, and cornmeal. Simmer about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir in the remaining ingredients (except the ice cream), then pour it into a buttered 2 quart baking dish.
Bake 2 hours at 325 degrees.
Serve hot with a big glob of ice cream.
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup black molasses
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup raising (optional)
1 pint good vanilla ice cream
Boil the milk with the salt, butter, and cornmeal. Simmer about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir in the remaining ingredients (except the ice cream), then pour it into a buttered 2 quart baking dish.
Bake 2 hours at 325 degrees.
Serve hot with a big glob of ice cream.